House of Representatives State of Utah


         UTAH STATE CAPITOL COMPLEX . 350 STATE CAPITOL
Figure

Graphic file number 0 named letter~1.jpg with height 78 p and width 81 p Left aligned
         P.O. BOX 145030 . SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH 84114-5030 . (801) 538-1029         February 6, 2008

Mr. Speaker:

    The Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee reports a favorable recommendation on H.J.R. 10, JOINT RESOLUTION OPPOSING DESIGNATION OF PUBLIC LANDS CURRENTLY URGED BY CONGRESS AND THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, by Representative A. Tilton, with the following amendments:

1.    Page 1, Lines 10 through 13 :    

             10      General Description:
             11          This joint resolution of the Legislature urges Congress and the United States Bureau of
             12      Land Management not to

{   designate new   }        limit public access to public lands in       Utah      {   wilderness areas   }        either through            {   consistent with the

             13      provisions of   }
  wilderness designation in       H.R. 1919, the so-called “Hinchey Bill        ,       ”        or through Bureau of Land Management regulatory processes       .


2.    Page 2, Lines 41 through 42 :    

             41      federal lands through a wilderness designation;
    
  WHEREAS, the Uintah Basin contains 80 billion barrels of known recoverable shale oil reserves;

    WHEREAS, the Uintah Basin contains 12 billion barrels of known recoverable oil from oil sands;
    WHEREAS, oil from domestic oil shale and oil sands production will significantly reduce the United States energy security vulnerability;
    WHEREAS, the proposed wilderness area would preclude development of oil shale and oil sands production in areas of the Uintah Basin;  

             42          WHEREAS, the entire Utah Congressional delegation opposes H.R. 1919;

3.    Page 2, Lines 57 through 58 :    

             57          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature urges the BLM
{   to reject

calls to


             58      restrict   }
  not to limit       the public's access to public lands under its jurisdiction.

    
  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature urges BLM to approve resource management plans without "wilderness characteristics" designations before the end of 2008.      


    Respectfully,

    Roger E. Barrus
    Committee Chair

Voting: 11-0-4
3 HJR010.HC1.wpd 2/6/08 10:08 am cgriffith/JBA JLW/ALH

Bill Number
Action Class
Action Code

*HJR010*
*H*
*HCRAMD*

 HJR010
H
HCRAMD